Selkirk 2

Partick Thistle 2

David Knox at Yarrow Park

SELKIRK’S impressive pre-season continued on Saturday with a well-deserved draw against Partick Thistle’s stars of the future.

Ian Fergus’s team may have been without a handful of expected starters, including Dan Greig and Daryl Healy, but they still more than matched the Firhill youngsters.

And the manager was fairly satisfied at the final whistle.

Ian told us: “That was an excellent young Partick Thistle team that’s full of talent – many will go on and play in the Irn Bru Cup and push for a place in the first team this season.

“The Weir Thistle Academy is top drawer and continues to produce really good players.

“Let’s be honest though, this was a game that we should have won with the number of chances we created, but when you make six or seven changes from half time onwards it takes a wee bit momentum out of your play.

“Our average age today was 21.9 years and we were more than a match for a very good Partick Thistle team, so I’m happy.”

Thistle’s development team showed early on why they are highly regarded with Callum Wilson firing across the face of goal following eye-catching build up play.

And Iain Last forced a good save from Gregor Amos on 14 minutes after driving through the middle to dispatch a well-struck shot from the edge of the area.

Selkirk showed their own quality with Sean McKirdy and Lewis Turkington swinging the momentum towards the Jags goal.

The Souters broke the deadlock on 18 minutes as Jordan Hopkinson darted into the area, and his cut back was smashed into the net by Gary Nicholson.

Just two minutes later Reece Donaldson charged forward to fire inches over.

But the home team were given a reminder of the quality they faced on 36 minutes as Evan Galasso was allowed to race through the middle of the Selkirk defence to fire beyond Amos for the equaliser.

The leveller sparked an instant reaction in the home ranks with Ciaren Chalmers going within inches of steering Selkirk back in front three minutes later.

Phil Addison shaved the bar with a curling freekick.

And just a minute later the former Hibs midfielder brilliantly stole the ball inside the area only to see his lob drift round the wrong side of the post.

Hopkinson also volleyed a Ryan Sclater cross just over the bar on the stroke of half time.

If anything, Selkirk looked even more of a threat after the break with the introduction of David Banjo, Sean Muhsin and Ricky Miller.

But they were caught on the counter attack just before the hour.

The impressive Connor Higgins raced towards the byline and his cross was brilliantly finished by substitute Giovanni Vezza.

Selkirk responded well, yet again, with Banjo heading Murray Christie’s corner just over.

The equaliser arrived on 73 minutes with Christie’s deep cross being smashed into the net by Unpha Korma at the back post.

Koroma twice shot just wide as the home team searched for the winner.

They also had a strong claim for a penalty on 80 minutes as Muhsin appeared to be dragged down as he raced onto Christie’s flick-on.

But Vezza flashed a volley inches over at the other end as the Jags almost grabbed glory in the dying minutes.

Substitute Kerr Scott, after evading two challenges, was denied an injury time winner for Selkirk by keeper Sam Kerr.

Selkirk. G Amos (G Goodfellow 77), R Sclater, R Donaldson, A Fleming, S McKirdy (R Millar 46), G Nicholson (S Muhsin 46), M Christie, L Turkington (D Banjo 46), P Addison (K Scott 64), C Chalmers (K Mitchell 64) & J Hopkinson (U Koroma 64).

Partick Thistle. S Kerr, L Duncanson, R Fleming (J Kenoe 75), H Grainger, J Kelly, C Wilson, A Fitzpatrick, E Galasso, C Higgins, trialist (G Vezza 55) & I Last.